Shades of Gray
by Zekran
Summary: [Twilight Princess AU] Prequel to A Shroud of Twilight. The Hero was always told who to fight and who to save, who was good and who was evil. A certain voice changed everything and the colors started to shift. [Chapters 1 through 4 up]
1. Preface

Authors Notes:

Firstly, none of this would of been possible (or written for that matter) without the help of Exp.626.Fan. A discussion about TP turned into him becoming my editor of sorts and fellow writer as we conspire together on various ideas. Now if I could only get him to get started on his stories. Pardon the rambling, read on.

Welcome one and all! Before you do dive in please read this section carefully, it will help clear up some questions that will pop up inevitably. This set of stories is not quite a full novelization of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess but more of a re-writing of the story. It is most defiantly AU, as the Temple of Time was given a face lift (No spiders) and there is no mention of the City in the Sky among other things. For the most part, it follows the games canon except in the cases where I felt it better to head into new grounds or expand on briefly touched places.

Once you reach Maw of Madness, please be sure to read the note there carefully as it will help explain the flow of that part. Some of you will notice a paradox there, but I ask you to simply nod and smile to go along with it, things will be resolved clearly by the end of this set or in the sequel to follow.

Also, Scorched Earth is not quite complete to the point where I personally like it, but it's well enough off to no longer hold up the current submission. Expect the very later parts to be written a tad better, mostly leading up to the spinner boss fight. Questions, comments, burnings at the stake can all be directed to my e-mail or by using the PM system. Thanks for putting up this far and once again, enjoy!

Before I forget, this thing is **definitely not done yet**. There are still six more chapters left (writing the 5th currently titled "Forgotten") to create. Then there's the highly possible sequel to _"A Shroud of Twilight"_ that explores the events past that.


	2. The End of a Beginning

Disclaimer: I own the nothings, nadda, zip, even my brain is on loan.

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_**"Sacrifice, which is the passion of great souls, has never been the law of societies." - Henri Frederic Amiel**_

Bubbles rushed past the submersed hero, effortlessly knifing through the crystal blue waters of the lake. A giggling voice continued to resonate within his masked face, "Finally, now I have all three pieces! You've been a good little errand wolf haven't you? And here I thought saving you from that little plot of Twilight was going to be a mistake." Each stroke of his blue garbed arms brought more teasing; kicking flipper adorned feet gave more mocking notions of how obedient. Clouds were beginning to gather as the pair surfaced; the craggy cliffs and bridge casting looming shadows about the rapidly cooling water. Shivers threatened to halt his progress, another voice cutting through the murky silence, "Cold? Toughen up hero! Just a short while ago weren't you in the middle of an active volcano, fighting a gigantic monster of pure flame?" Something within him chuckled at the barb, the majority disagreed. More bubbles spilling forth from the mask he wore while the hero ducked under again, rapidly gliding towards the docks.

A bitter wind raced through the dripping hero, halting his tracks firmly as more heat was stolen. The chastising voice came again, demanding that he toughen up still. Wet boot prints tracked the progress of the duo, coming to a stop outside the cavernous entrance to the Light Spirit's domain. Several questions passed through the young hero's mind, reflecting their unknown answers by the look upon his face. Shadows began to congeal in front of him, a spectral red eye and equally intangible body hovering there, "I need these Fused Shadows in order to get back to the Realm of Twilight Link, and by doing that I can remove the threat Zant is to my kingdom." Rage began to boil behind that single crimson eye, diminutive hands clenching into fists at the sheer audacity of her, the Princess of Twilight, ruler of the Twilight Realm being banished by that fool. Writhing as if alive, the scorched colors of her hair whipped wildly behind her looking positively demonic. Stepping back slightly the hero remained cautious, already aware of her ability to move pieces of material many more times her size and weight, not to mention regardless of any thing hazardous about it. Snapping out of her vengeful state, the exiled Twili motioned for him to follow, "Come on hero, go tell the Light Spirit that the Temple of Water is safe now, not like they can hear anything more then a few feet away." Even while she began to melt back into his shadow, the hero could do little but shake his head while trekking into the cavern. If all went as planned, this would be the end of any threat to Hyrule.

Lanaryu roared to life in front of the awed boy, light shimmering and reflecting majestically off its swirl sculpted hide. Leveling its gaze with the chosen of the gods, the spirit began to speak of how the world would soon be at peace, even if the dark power had been unearthed once more. However the hero was far from listening, something sinister gnawed at the pit of his stomach and dabbled on the edge of his senses, far from the presence that resided within his shadow, and this was of evil incarnate. The sudden disappearance of the Light Spirit snapped the would-be hero from his thoughts; unbreakable gloom erupted from within the cavernous lair. Whirling around, the boy saw it a moment before being struck, the bizarre glare of an outlandish and exotic helmet. Frantically reaching for his weapon, the gasp of surprise wedged within his throat. Those gloved hands never made it to the weapons pommel, being abruptly frozen with the sweep of a robe sleeve. Etched tassels swayed with an undetectable wind at the motion, ebon blues glowing on the delicately written script. Light footsteps echoed loudly as the being calmly walked around the subdued Ordonian, hints of mockery broadcast from the eerie, bulb eyes of the helmet. Unable to do more then stare helplessly, the enthralled hero studied the figure. Dark concealing robes swirled in the same undetectable wind, twilight bathing the cavern in its smoldering colors.

A mocking laugh erupted from the exotic helmet while a disjointed voice resounded within its foreign metals. "What is this, child that stands so defiantly before me? Do you not know your betters, little being of Light? ", unseen eyes drifted low to the ground, silently viewing the extraction of the Twili princess from the hero's shadow. That helmet snapped high again, continuing its walk around the immobile boy. "You sully yourself by associating with these dwellers of Light, your hatred of them nearly matches mine, does it not Midna?" She remained silent, the exiled ruler merely hovering to the side, leveling a burning glare of hatred at the usurper who walked freely. Stepping in front of the boy one final time, sleeves hanging loosely at his sides, the betrayer slowly turned the unseen gaze from Twili to Ordonian, laughing one final time. Swiftly raising a sleeve, the usurper flung the paralyzed hero against a succession of cavern walls, eventually letting him fall into a crumpled heap at his feet. The impish princess was enraged, flinging a bevy of curses at the weirdly helmeted being, powers of the Fused Shadows arching across her hands and crown. It became a futile effort as the Twilight King ripped the very magic from her body, collecting the aged armaments before him. "You dare try to use withered old magic against me? My power was given by my god; nothing you possess can stop me, not the decrepit magic of our ancestors or these moldering pieces of shadow!"

Despite his new sudden injuries, the young hero continued to struggle, vainly attempting break free of whatever bondage held him. Azure eyes torn between the two figures, viewing the events with a growing sense of dread and panic. The helmeted being stepped to the side as the Twili princess glided towards the fallen hero, pausing a distance away from him. Conflicting ideals and battling emotions welled within her crowned mind, several voices clamoring for attention. Loudly one demanded the head of the betrayer on a pike, another boldly suggesting the unthinkable, down further nearly a silent whisper that questioned the hero's treatment, he had been an unquestioning errand wolf. Still the mental tug of war surged, each side uncompromising and relentless. Brief thoughts and accompanying looks of regret flashed across her crimson eye, simmering into anger once the usurper had stepped behind her. Leaning down close, horribly close to her outstretched ear the ghastly mouthpiece slid back quickly, toxic strands of green ooze dribbling from the unused joints, drizzling onto the dirt with a faint sizzle. Lithe, slender fingers edged out from the oversized sleeves of the Twilight King's robe, resting in a disgustingly comfortable way on the Twili's smaller, slender shoulders. Freed from the channeling echoes of the mask, the taller being spoke in a clear crisp voice, "Why do you resist me, with your powers aiding those of my god, we could blot out the cursed light and drown this world in sweet darkness." A single strand of that green drool stretched down, landing on her shoulder in silence, the banished ruler did not flinch. Devious thoughts and decadent daydreams raced through the betrayer's mind, the grip of lithe fingers tightening briefly. "We could accomplish so much, the King and Queen of Twilight. The injustices wrought by the goddesses will be corrected, and the pristine magic of the Sacred Realm would be rightfully ours again." The single visible red eye kept its gaze securely on the fallen hero.

Speaking at last, the impish princess did not move hiding the font of rage boiling within her, "You are short sighted, what will stop this one from attempting to end our bid for dominance?" The taller being laughed once more, lifting the prone hero with another flick of his hand, holding the boy suspended in front of the shadowy pair. "The power of my god is near unstoppable, lending yours will make it so that no little nuisances, Hyrulian or otherwise will be able to stand defiant." Streams of eldritch energy began to crackle at the tips of the flowing tassels, rustling them within the grip of a fell wind. "Especially false heroes who cling to a dying hope in a dying land. Your little charade is over, boy." That gathering energy released itself in a massive burst of shadowy power, striking the helpless hero and sending him reeling. The magic forcing a shard of pure malice from the Twilight King into his skull, brutally forcing the boy to shift cripplingly to the wild feral beast that lurked underneath. Little more then scream in agony, turning to a howl as the lupine hero fell silent, lifelessly crumpled before the dusky pair. Crimson eyes went wide at the vicious attack, tiny hands clenching into fists. Rising slowly and turning to face the demented King, the banished Twili started to smile, drifting closer.

Another repulsive thought rushed through the usurper's mind, a tendril of green ooze collecting in the corner of his mouth. She edged herself closer, dusky lips drifting dangerously near to his. That rage filled eye forcing shut, preparing for the worst that would follow. It would never be, unable to contain the sheer weight of the undying hatred within her for the so called Twilight King; she lashed out, raking a furious gash across his unprotected mouth. Recoiling in horror, the enraged betrayer struck out; the power of the Fused Shadows augmenting his already considerable power, rooting the flailing imp in place. Streams of purple blood ran freely across the numerous rakes on his mouth and chin, drawn back into a vicious snarl. "Then die, die here in your precious Light with no one to save you!" Partially turning towards the empty pool of water behind them, another wave of a heavy robe sleeve brought the dormant Lanayru to the surface, blasting the immobile Twilight Princess with the full force of a guardian spirit. Dissolving into the retreating darkness, the usurper left one last mocking laugh in the blinding cavern. Being defenseless without the protection of the ancient shadows, the impish ruler was struck down. The Twili collapsed into a motionless pile even as the spirit understood his pivotal role in the attempted execution. Fang filled jaws roared open, waking the feral beast a few feet away. Brilliant golden hues held the blue eyed beast in reverent silence, the spirits words echoing in the chamber, "Chosen of the gods, time is running short. I can not atone for my part in this but I can speed you to possible salvation. Go; find the one recently of Twilight. You must hurry!"

He heard nothing from the spirit, azure eyes having caught sight of the fallen imp. Deathly pale and unmoving, confusion mixed with chilling panic racing through the beasts mind. Nudges drew no movement, no complaints from the fallen princess. Around him the cavern began to brighten further to the point of blindness. Squinting out the burning light while hovering defensively over the prone ruler the hero found himself outside once more, deposited in front of the stone bridge that spanned a river to feed the castle moat. Something grabbed a tiny fistful of fur, forcing a new heavier weight upon his back. Fleeting glances were stolen of the new passenger, ending when a ragged voice managed to mummer into his ear, "Stop…standing around you dumb wolf, find Zelda…now!" Paws broke into a sprinting run at the sound of her voice, carrying the mortally wounded imp and terrified beast towards the unguarded gates of the Castle Town. At the sight of a vicious beast, the meager watch of two mail armored guards fled, dropping their edged spears in flight. One screaming about a monster, the other calling for help; neither gave the feral hero pause, charging past the now unattended gates into the streets of the town. Perhaps greater things were at play here, it began to rain thoroughly as if on some unseen cue.

Citizens fled in all directions, trampling across one another to flee the horrible beast that invaded the streets. Watchmen cowered visibly, backing into corners with pointed pikes displayed, vainly attempting to dissuade the creature from attacking. Lines of patrols bunched together when the lupine hero passed, some breaking rank while others vainly tried to throw a façade of bravery. Still the rain poured, refusing to stop in its goal to drown the creature and his wounded passenger. Diligently the wolf cursed boy searched for a way into the castle, the soldiers around the front doors having developed something of a backbone. Feeble breathing continued to repeat from above him, driving the urgency of the situation further into the feral mind within his skull. Gliding into the recesses of a sunken alleyway, finally a source of faint hope was found, an open grate above a familiar bar. Precariously the lupine savior kept threading along winding ropes and against fragile earthen ware, keeping out of sight of rowdy patrons and watchful drinkers. The entire effort was put into jeopardy at the nudge of innocent pot, azure eyes frozen in horror while the earthen ware began to tumble. Rapidly he disappeared through an opening into the dank underground tunnels, gone before the pot ever hit the stone floor.

Down further the decrepit tunnels burrowed, limbs developing a strong, determined pace through the unused sections of the castle underground. Those few unfortunate soldiers posted to guard the recessed world quickly fled at the sight of the beast bolting past, screams of invasion echoing from side chambers and passageways. Under fallen columns and over broken crypts the hero took his wounded charge, desperately racing against time. Battles were avoided at all costs, the health of the impish ruler too fragile to risk in any confrontation. This caused no end to injuries the feral hero had to endure, trickles of crimson fluid marking the path to the battlements. Diminutive arms clung tighter to the scruffy neck, weakened demands made that he move faster. That crumbling staircase rose up before him, unable to find a way without the assistance of the injured passenger. Thoughtfully, someone had nailed makeshift rope bridges to span the absent stairs, perhaps it was a considerate soldier or more likely, one of the numerous masked archers that peppered the fleeing hero with burning arrows.

Bursting forth from the heavily defended tower and carrying a few souvenirs from his journey to the top, the beast afflicted boy skidded along shabby stonework and frail shingles. More masked assailants filled the air around the racing pair with bolts, causing the mad dash for the farthest tower to become all the more deadly. Even the forces of nature seemed to be against the duo, brutal winds buffeting them across the rooftops. A leap of faith was taken without pause, scurrying paw work bringing disaster closer, only the faintest of luck allowed the beast to scale the wall. During it all his charge continued to grow more desperate, the grip around his neck weakening as the ragged breaths became less frequent. Blood flowed freely from a number of wounds on the lupine saviors hide, pure will keeping the pace strong. Finally the unguarded air passage inside the highest tower grew in reach, barreling through the opening into the ruddy glow. Despite the explicit orders the Princess of Light had given her chamber doors swung open wildly. Whirling around in a fit of anger, words of annoyance already in her throat, "Who dares-?" Those thoughts withered away at the sight that greeted her, a bleeding and battered beast that sported a deathly pale imp on its back.

It became a fight of regal training versus pure outrage within the mind of the Princess of Light, her private chambers being breached by this affront to decency. The shard of Wisdom glowed fiercely in her hand, its powers of premeditation channeling thoughts and outcomes within her mind. Unhindered by the ruler's outburst, the feral hero stalked into the room. Silently he stood there, the mortally wounded passenger groaning quietly. Collecting her thoughts in one brief breath, the Stewardess of Hyrule began to speak, "Why have you aided the darkness? Those blackened powers were sealed away by the Goddesses for a reason, never to be retrieved and set free!", a white gloved hand motioned to the four posted bed while she stood before the fireplace, back facing the duo. Wordlessly the wolf padded to the piece of furniture, gently rolling his precious cargo off onto the softer sheets. Facing the silent princess once more, he stood motionless. Ears pricked up, straining to hear the Ruler of Hyrule over the crackling of the fire. "Grant me wisdom and insight in this trying time.", she muttered before facing the animal and exiled being. "The situation has gone from bad to worse; I see the soldiers cannot even stop one animal from wandering into the streets and heading all the way to my personal chambers. Yet still, despite all of the signs that should have warned you about the evil you were about to unleash, it still occurred. Did the Spirits of Light not forewarn you of the consequences of unearthing those artifacts of darker times?" Blue eyes burned a hole through each of the lesser hero's own, threatening to pierce the wall behind him.

"The spirits have been freed of their imprisonment under the heel of Twilight that much is true. Our people have been rendered spirits no longer and the Kingdom thanks you, but this newest development is inexcusable!" Finally the enraged gaze of the Stewardess turned away, studying the minute details of her window. Unable to speak, the afflicted boy simply stood there, the accusations weighing heavily on him. He had willingly helped his impish companion gather the Fused Shadows and now they were in the hands of the very same who threatened to wash the entire land under the pall of shadows once more. His self inflicted berating was ended by the voice of the Princess of Light, "The Kingdom has no one to stand against this evil, what hope you resurrected died once the dark powers were recovered by their original owners." Again the Triforce of Wisdom began to pulse upon her hand, drawing her mind inward upon itself. Choices and outcomes raced through her mind, the possible death of Midna, the inevitable that loomed ever closer, none of them were acceptable. The situation was deteriorating at a frightening pace. The braids of her hair swayed slightly at the sudden shake of her sculpted face, eyes narrowing briefly. "No, that is not possible. Without a leader the populace will fall even faster to the shadow. Even now creatures make their homes upon the castle battlements and sewers, soon the streets will be rendered unsafe to walk in daylight."

Azure eyes turned from the debating Stewardess to the weakening Twili, watching quietly. Gone was the bossy, demanding nature that dominated her words and ideals, replaced with the simple battle of survival, poisoned by the light of the guardian spirit Lanayru. Sighing once more, the heir stepped to the foot of the bed suddenly shouting into the deathly silent room, "I will not sacrifice my life for this being of shadow! It is absurd, she only has and will continue to do harm to my Kingdom!" Reinforced by the knowledge being fed to her by the shard of Wisdom, her pride was having a difficult time agreeing with her mind. Undaunted, her pride continued to refuse the idea, she was a chosen of the gods, a bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, no situation should call for such drastic measures. Yet the very holder of the Triforce of Courage stood before her, afflicted by the strength of a curse she had not seen before, the shard of Wisdom only telling her to direct the wolf to the Sacred Grove. It intoned he would never make it alone, nor would he be able to defeat the powers that threatened the safety of the Kingdom. Still she protested fiercely, foreign voices coalescing within her mind into the sound of three divinely infused beings, "Daughter of the gods, why do you resist so strongly to that which will assure the survival of your Kingdom? We would not place such a heavy burden upon your shoulders unless the need was most dire."

All of her internal arguments fell to the floor at the first speaking, a look of awe washing across her features. Picking up where the previous left off, another speaker began within the confines of her mental state, "Those that we sealed away, the vessels of dark power must be recovered from the Realm of Twilight. It is not such a task that we ask lightly from you, bearer of Wisdom." Blue eyes shot towards the ceiling, rapidly searching along the carefully hewn stone for unreachable answers. The second voice continued to speak, "Your desires and actions are wholly pure, Daughter of the gods, but the place where the vessels of power now lie are inaccessible to one such as yourself. Only those with the taint of the darkness may trespass into that realm." Those same eyes glanced down to the beast and the wounded Twili at the revelation being brought to her attention. The shard of Wisdom had been instructing her truthfully all along, pride was clouding her vision, not the trickery of the one before her. Interrupting her thoughts one final time was the third voice echoing with divine purpose, "We would never cast aside one that is as important and faithful as you, Bearer of Wisdom. What you must do goes beyond a single life; it is paramount to the survival of both Kingdoms. The Bearer of Courage must be cleansed of the foul taint that afflicts him, only the One of Dusk can accomplish this. Daughter of the gods, we ask that you put your faith in the One of Dusk and the Bearer of Courage." With the portents spoken, the voices retreated from the Princess of Light's mind, leaving her in quiet recollection at the task set before her. Carefully a white gloved hand came to rest atop the bestial hero's forehead, lightly applying pressure. Kneeling down before him, her other hand rising to tilt his chin up, letting azure eyes impact together while the Stewardess spoke quietly, "You must stay brave, for the fate of two Kingdoms rest in your hands. There will be trials but they will not be faced alone." Letting go slowly, the determined ruler stalked past towards the deathly injured imp, gloved hands coming together as she began an incantation. "Midna, you must take him to the forgotten places of the world, into the depths of the forests where society has retreated from. Only the Blade of Evil's Bane has the power to cleanse that which afflicts him now." The crimson eye of the Twili opened weakly, a diminutive hand reaching out towards the princess, "Link…stop her, don't let her…" It mattered little as the Princess of Light had already evaporated into the light of the gods, charging rapidly into the prone form of the pale imp. The wolfish hero watched, it was impossible for him to stop her.

Gingerly the exiled ruler began to sit up, shaking her head briefly as that crimson eye furrowed shut, "Stupid girl, what good are you to your kingdom if you're dead." Laying his head upon the side of the bed, the feral hero quietly watched her, azure eyes downcast. Hesitantly, the Twili glided to the back of the boy, settling back to her favored perch, still silent. Placing a diminutive hand atop his forehead, she spoke finally, "We've got to get you out of that form, running around as a ferocious beast won't do us any good. You heard the Princess; we shouldn't waste any more time here. ", lightly those tiny fingers ran along the markings etched onto his forehead, heels digging into his flanks with the hesitation.


	3. Scorched Earth

Disclaimer: Yep, nothing. What I own adds up to zero. All the copyrights go to Nintendo.

Notes: Expect this to change slightly, as the latter parts will be rewritten better to build up into the spinner fight.

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**"Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not something to be waited for; but, rather something to be achieved." - William Jennings Bryan **

Rapidly the duo burst down the winding stairs of the tower, knocking aside bewildered servants. Glancing back at the staircase, the Twili's crimson eye widened considerably. Crystalline barriers had already begun to form, sealing off section by section of the castle with the departure of the Princess of Light. Her small heels dug harder into the sides of the feral hero that served as her steed, "We've got to get out of this place now! It looks like Zelda was doing more then just moping around in her half of the castle." Ears pricked up at sounds behind them, echoing screams coming from those unfortunate enough to be caught between the constructing barriers. Several close encounters with those same impassable walls nearly ended the flight of the duo, shattering through ornate doors and tearing across plush embroidered carpets. The watchmen of the staff did little to help the growing prison, abandoning their fellows and fleeing. Disembodied voices crested high above the chaos, reverberating down choked hallways, "Run, run you little gnats and insects! This is my seat of power now!"

Azure eyes caught sight of horrifying transformations afflicting many of the soldiers and staff, blazing a trail past monstrously growing figures and black armored knights, massive war swords narrowly missing the impish princess. "Hey! Run faster you dumb wolf, just because I almost died once does not mean that I'm willing to do it again!" The response from the bestial hero was one of a growl, showing his agreement by breaking through the ruined doors at the entrance to the castle, claws skittering along the marbled steps. Behind him more faces came rushing forth, the final sides to the diamond shape prison coalescing out of the air, trapping those same faces behind an impenetrable wall of etched force. The pair never paused to look back, blotting out the coming cries of distress. The banished ruler speaking quietly as they rounded a deserted corner into an alley, "There's nothing we can do about them for the moment so stop looking down. There were forests back where you were first pulled into Twilight, that's where we should look for this artifact." She gave the hero no time to answer, hushing any sounds of protest by the appearance of blackened squares and smoldering colors of Twilight.

Wasting no time once the world was bathed in the brightness of light, the duo set off into the depths of the forest. Only halting at the entrance to the Temple of the Forest, dual eyes scanning the surroundings. The crimson eye whirled around, casting an edged glare at the squawking bird behind them, "Find the path quickly or I'm going to silence that annoying thing." Searching became difficult as the feral hero did have a sudden craving for chicken. Eventually by pure accident the perilous trail revealed itself, azure eyes straining to see around the bend of the cliff face. The gaps were numerous despite the ease that the Twili hovered across them, impatiently waving at the frozen hero. Backtracking slightly before swirling around, thundering into a gallop across the first gap, each leap becoming more and more hazardous and harrowing. Laughing ahead of him was his guide, always throwing a barb when he briefly faltered, "If you fall, better grow wings quickly!"

Tumbling into a pile after the final leap of faith, the lupine savior found a place that looked straight out of forgotten legends and speculation. A thick carpet of fine leaves covered the forest floor, towering trees reaching into the sky above. Thin rays of sunlight manage to pierce the broad canopy, illuminating patches of ground with an ethereal quality. Landing on his back, the banished princess clapped despite herself, its sound echoing throughout the quiet glades. Something rustled in the distance, faint rumblings of music beginning to trickle into the quiet air. Bestial ears pricked at the sounds, padding slowly into the artificial gloom of the clearing. Child-like laughter erupted from the shadows around them, blue eyes turning upwards to grab a fleeting glance of his passenger, she was not the culprit. Picking up the pace suddenly, the pair darted off along a grass choked path, following it under lily encrusted water falls and across bridges made from moldering logs. The glade seemed to have a will of its own, leading them through twisting turns and over limbs suspended by masses of thick vines. Resounding from every possible place was that musical tone, the beating of a wooden trumpet. Even the cursed hero understood that this was a wild place, blessed by the goddesses to endure and resist every attempt at taming.

Threading carefully along a flimsy branch, the pair abruptly found themselves in the midst of ruins and half eroded structures. Standing on the back of her courier, the impish princess squinted to see into the distance, unable to find a specific end to the fallen columns and crumbling walls. Clawed feet found stable purchases along the decrepit stonework, leading them through the forgotten place. A voice from above broke the silence, "This is as far away and out of place as it can get.", below the afflicted boy nodded. Cresting the incline of weather worn steps brought out the centerpiece of the entire site, two massive statues flanking an archway. Further between them in the expanse beyond the archway stood a gigantic clearing, intricate stonework laid out flowing patterns and runed script, culminating in the raising of a small pedestal. Firmly embedded in that pedestal was a sword, but it was far from a simple or unremarkable one. It was illuminating the entire clearing by its own reflection of the suns rays, boldly calling out for the Hero of the gods to come and claim it. Hesitantly the lupine hero began to stalk towards the archway, intending on giving the statues a wide berth. Both of them abruptly animated without warning, leveling sculpted weaponry and chiseled faces at the approaching pair.

Stopping sharply, the hair on the scruff of his neck began to stand, teeth bared at the threat of a possible fight that was looming closer. His Twili companion cast much of the same look at the earthy foes, crimson eye narrowing slowly. In unison the stone guardians began to speak, "We have stood our ground in this most divine of places for centuries. That which lies beyond here is not for the taking of others, only the one chosen by the gods may wield it." Muscles tensed within the feral savior, preparing for the inevitable assault that would follow. Etched onto his fur, the emblem of Courage began to flare brightly with the activation of the stone soldiers. Just as rapidly as the statutes had animated for attack, they returned to their motionless state, the faint breeze picking up the whispering of a single statement, "Chosen of the gods, carry this blade proudly. It will banish that which afflicts you and protect you from that which lurks within the deepest shadows." Thoughts drifted along the mental pathways of the feral hero, skeptical of the guardian's sudden halt. Heels dug their way again into his sides, a chiding voice mocking him, complete with a giggle, "Are you afraid of statues now? Some hero you're turning into." Azure eyes narrowed while he charged forth past the motionless sentinels, she had a point.

Reverently the wolf began to approach the center of the clearing, already bathed in the bright soothing hues of the weapons shine. Each paw step caused flowing scripts to illuminate beneath him, working along their sculpted path towards the center of the dais. Recorded down in the scripts, from the beginning of the Temple, the names and deeds of every hero that came before the one that stalked into the most divine of places in the Kingdom of Hyrule. Partial memories and faint twinges of emotion tugged at him, despite it being the first time the cursed boy had ever set foot in this place, it felt vaguely familiar in a distant way. The Twili passenger slid silently off his back once he neared the pedestal, motioning quietly for him to continue, "Go on. Remember what happened last time I went near the Light." His hesitation vanished slowly as the soothing glow began to brighten, smaller lights picking up around the feral savior. Around the beast, the glittering script continued to circle towards the center, splitting apart to end at three separate points around the raised platform that housed the Blade of Evil's Bane. Upon his fur, the etched symbol for the Triforce of Courage flared to life once more, mimicking the display of lights that surrounded him.

Higher still did the colors erupt, power fluctuating from the artifacts eternal resting place. Azure eyes squinted shut, blocking out the near blinding display when the trek faltered, unable to move closer. His impish charge had long since shielded her crimson eyes; a slender arm lifted in an effort to sooth the burn. Streams of divine energy coursed from within the single symbol that adorned the hilt of the weapon, striking the corrupted at the center of the glow. Roaring with the expulsion of the corrupting shadows, the shard of malice so firmly embedded within his skull burst forth, skittering to the edge of the clearing. At once the changes wrought by the foul Twilight King were undone, the hero's original body being returned to him without interruption. Within the dying glow of the divine energies released, gloved hands flexed briefly: arms and legs stretching after much disuse and unfamiliarity. Crimson eyes picked out the familiar outline of the Hyrulian savior from the fading lights, a brief snaggle-fanged smile twisting onto her lips before she glided off, intent on finding that expelled fragment. Stepping out onto the raised pedestal, the hero's gloved fingers instinctively curling about the leather wrapped grip. For a brief moment, the boy felt as if he was watching someone else draw the weapon, the grip of it housing a familiar yet new sensation to it.

Turning back to the cleansed hero, the banished ruler caught sight of the final drawing of the blade. Both gloved hands held the holy sword aloft, azure eyes cast up into the boughs of the surrounding trees, sunlight ever present as it sparkled off the honed edges. Materializing upon his back was the scabbard, securely fastened without any assistance. Power called out to him, driving his muscles to strike swiftly into the air with the holy edge, finally sheathing it with a whirling twist of his wrist. A loud whistle broke the hero from his reverent treating of the weapon, azure eyes drawn to the floating princess that sped closer, gingerly handling the very thing that cured him. "Link, I'm going to hold onto this. With it you can transform into your other half; it's too dangerous to leave it lying around." The growing laughter from her caused a brief smile to slip onto his face, "Plus with this, I can change you at will myself now.", it disappeared after that, the mischievous grin from her seeing to it. His protests were lost in the coming of the blackened squares and dying colors of Twilight, her laughter still echoing within the clearing.

Once the world of Light had returned, the pair were once again outside the drawbridge to the Castle Town, the Twilight Princess hovering above his shoulder. "Before you ask, I don't know where the Mirror of Twilight is. It's always been kept in the Realm of Light, not my exact area of expertise. Someone in this place must know where it is, get asking!" A sudden swat to his back got the hero moving, laughter echoing from the dissolving imp. Jogging past the unguarded gates, a voice murmuring within his ear, "I see the castle is as defended as ever." From the inside, it looked better patrolled, several soldiers forming coherent routes along the streets. The surviving soldiers looked as if they were maintaining order, he silently hoped they were but a more knowledgeable part of the hero disagreed. Continuing his trek down the streets, cutting through the throngs of people while shop keepers shouting their wares, masses of buyers haggling and bickering over the prices of various things. Cutting into a side alley, the hero and his compatriot found the best place to find information within the town, Telma's bar. Not because of the clientele or it's location, but simply because it was the meeting place for a resistance of sorts, as mentioned by the proprietor herself, even if she did emphasis her points rather, bluntly. Something growled behind him at his pause, a voice whispering into his ear, "If you're thinking about what I think you are, I will drop you into the lake.", the hero tried to push out the thoughts quickly and opened the door.

Inside the murmurs of dozens of conversations reached his ears, a few patrons eyeing the new comer with hints of interest, others simply passing the hero off as another swordsman. Azure eyes caught the sight of the ever present mailman, crouched in a corner with his face buried inside a menu. A glint caught his attention in the corner of his eyes, gloved hand lashing out to catch the flung object, ending up with a glass of some liquid. Clapping drew his eyes to the original owner, as if the whistle and calling were not enough. "Over here, honey! Come have a seat at the bar, we have much to talk about!" Sliding past a row of soldiers while a familiar voice tickled the edges of his ear, "-Honey-? Is this a bar or some kind of other 'establishment'...", the hero could only shrug his shoulders, it was Telma's Bar and the growing suspicion of why every male drank here was confirmed. Taking a seat with much hesitation, the savior of Hyrule placed the glass a distance away even as the owner started to chat, "I was wondering when you'd get around back here honey, remember those friends I told you about? Turns out they've heard of you too and want to meet you." By itself, the discussion wouldn't have been bad, except that she had a habit of reinforcing herself with a generous lean forward. The low cut shirt and jacket she chose was another matter entirely. This caused the Twili hiding within his shadow no end of amusement, even going as far as to cause her to creep into the space behind his shield all the while interrupting the owner of the bar's chat with little barbs and jabs. "Ever since that scuffle at the castle, business has died down a bit.", the barb came viciously, suggesting that she find a smaller shirt to improve business; his only response was another shrug of shoulders. "But that's only temporary, since I'm sure a strapping young swordsman like you can bring back hope to our town, right honey?" The comment about her clothes needing more straps drew him dangerously close to snickering, frantically forcing a cough from his throat. This is how the length of the conversation went, most if not all of the proprietors topics were twisted into vicious little barbs and cuffing jabs, it became a battle to hold a straight face between the two of them.

Finally silence settled over the chatty woman, allowing the hero the time needed to make a hasty retreat to the group on the far side of the room, secluded in their own annexed chamber. His flight was interrupted by the woman again calling after him, "Don't forget honey, if you ever get lost look on that map there, it'll point you in the right direction!" The impish princess abruptly lost it, "What, does the map direct everyone to your bed chamber?" All the hero could do was shake his head, leaving the company of the owner for that of the three around the table. Two sets of eyes briefly leapt to the hero as he drew near, one quickly returning to the book that its nose was buried in, and the other simply gliding back down to the map that was tacked to the table. The third wore a helmet, obscuring his face to the point of near secrecy. Azure eyes danced across the three, noting that one was in fact a woman and decked out in plate mail armor, the other looked vaguely familiar, finally settling upon the scholarly looking fellow. The man continued to ignore the hero, a voice chipping in on the situation, "If he doesn't put that book down, I'm going to slam it shut on his nose." The savior of Hyrule had a difficult time not picturing it.

Without warning, a metal coated elbow snuck its way into the side of the reading man, causing the book to do just as the banished ruler wished; it snapped shut around his nose. A yelp of pain drew both hands to the reddening area, the hero resisting the urge to grin. Voice muffled by the location of his hands, the scholar finally began to address the boy, "Oh! Hello there, afraid I didn't see you there. You're that Link fellow right?" Murmurs reached the saviors ears, "Is he blind, stupid, or just all of the above?", giving her comment no discernable response while the book keeper continued. "Yes that's right, well my name is Shad. Not much for adventure I'm afraid; spend more of my time in books and other places of knowledge." That voice commented again, mentioning a good place where he could stick those books. Turning away from the scholar when that book returned to his face, azure eyes rested on the armored woman of the group, getting a brief once over in return while she talked, "I'm Ashlei, my father used to be in the royal guard so he taught me a good bit about fighting, till he was run off from the Kingdom." It seemed to be the end of her introduction despite the voice in his ears. Glancing at the helmeted figure finally, something gnawing in his stomach about the way the man looked. Suddenly the man reached up, drawing back the plates that hid his eyes and the majority of his face. "Hey Link! I was wondering when you'd get up here. These two are good friends as well as Auru." Why Rusl was here was beyond the hero's ability to understand, the Twili in his shadow sneakily suggested he was hiding. Breaking the trail of thoughts from the hero's mind, the helmeted man started again, "Speaking of him, he's the best person to go talk to about the Gerudo Desert, Shad and him were talking about the possible place for the Mirror of Twilight to be kept." Sitting up, the familiar teacher leaned forward towards the reading fellow, "Shad, where did Auru say he was going?", when no response came from the book, the man glanced briefly towards the armored woman again.

Needing no further indications, that same elbow from earlier found its way back into the scholar's side, once again snapping the book shut on his nose. Yelping at the sudden bite of a hostile book, the scribe looked back at the trio around the table. "Yes, what? Oh Auru, I think he was going to Lake Hylia, something about a structure there he could use to look out across the desert." Even the hero shook his head this time, finding it impossible to disagree with the voice in his ear. Around the table, the three returned to their original business, two scrutinizing the map while the third simply read. They all seemed to be done with the hero, much to his confusion. A whispering sound in his ear agreed, "That's it? What kind of resistance is this? Go find this guy while we sit here in a bar and do nothing." On the heel of a boot he turned, knifing a path through the throng of patrons in the bar. There was little point in hanging around this place, especially if those were the extent of the resistance Telma had spoken so highly of. Shutting the door behind him with a brief sigh, the hero leant onto the wooden paneling for a moment, behind him shadows congealed into the familiar imp. "What a dump, and they were of absolutely little help! Well come on, we might as well go find this Auru guy, maybe he'll have a brilliant idea." Before the hero could walk far, Twilight began to shimmer around him, rapidly finding the waters of Lake Hylia below. It was a long way down.

The resulting splash brought more than a smile to the Twili's face, gliding effortlessly across the rolling surface of the lake. "I warned you but did you listen? Of course not, heroes are supposed to listen!" Treading water took all of the poor savior's attention, following after the impish ruler. Hoisting himself onto the shore, azure eyes began to scan the cliffs and rock formations for the vague hints that the resistance had given him. Crimson eyes glanced across the breadth of the lake, silently hovering above his shoulder. Rising completely out of place with the rest of the area was a thin tower, situated on top of the highest outcropping of rock along the lake shore. The hero let out a brief sigh, jogging steadily towards the winding paths that lead up the trails. Gloved hands fought for purchase along the sheer rock walls, progress slowly being made as the pair scaled up onto the outcropping. With a grunt he was over the lip of the cliff, legs scurrying to push just a bit farther onto the grass. He got a helping hand, but more in the form of a helping swat, neatly lifting him up over the edge and tumbling onto the grass in a pile, half raising a hand towards the giggling imp. She hovered over him, pulling up the end of his odd hat while speaking, "I know you think you deserve a rest and all but this is hardly the time or the place, so get up and start being the hero!" Azure eyes shot a brief glare at the hovering princess, shaking his head while dusting himself off.

The thin stone tower was beyond out of place but it did have a ladder attached to the side, though a comment from the side questioned why. As with many things, the savior had no real answer, it even puzzled him. A brief shrug of his shoulders before the inevitable climb began, throwing the fading imp a brief look while she dissolved into his stretching shadow, at least there wouldn't be another helping hand here. Nearing the end of the ladder, two stronger hands suddenly gripped his own, hefting the bewildered climber up onto the top of the observation tower. "Ah! There you are my boy! Took you long enough, Telma chew your ear off did she?" Leaning closer and with the young boy leaning just a bit further back, he continued with a conspiratorial tone, "Between you, me and our shadows, that's how she got the bar in the first place." Wizened eyes turned away quickly, refocusing on the endless dunes to the east. It was perfectly timed, the hero having been subjected to a particularly edged comment by way of his shadowy accomplice. "Link, do you know of the desert that encompasses the eastern half of the kingdom? It was home to a prison at one time, where they sent the most vile and unruly prisoners." The old teacher turned back, facing the young hero once again, "It's fallen into disrepair and use now, the jailors being forced to flee. However it was once the most guarded place in all of Hyrule and I am sure the Mirror of Twilight was kept there."

Quietly reaching into a pocket, the old man fumbled for something while motioning down to the rickety docks with his head, "Fyer owes me a favor, take this note to him. He can't refuse it, and if he does well…" For a brief instant an evil glint reflected off the elderly man's eyes, "Tell him I'll shove him into that contraption and aim it at the castle. The guards would love to have a chat with him about the fiasco from last time." Somehow, the hero managed to not chuckle at the thought, the greedy old man had it coming to him. Abruptly the same two hands from before grabbed the distracted hero, "You dawdle too much boy, we haven't much time. Get moving!" hoisting him aloft and unceremoniously throwing the flailing hero out into the water towards the floating contraption that constituted Fyer's shop. Behind him, the old teacher began to laugh, waving as the savior began to crest into a dive, smashing into the gently rolling water. The size of the splash was great enough to soak the previously mentioned cannon operator, drawing even greater laughter from the perched man. All the poor hero could do was flail and swim, a much closer voice suggesting that he should of grown wings.

The soaked operator grumbled loudly, interjecting his misery with a few choice words of a less then colorful description, giving the drenched hero a brief once over. "You again,heh? Come for another ride? You know the drill, its fun…its excitement…it's…you know the spill." Back to wringing out the shabby looking cap he went, sitting down dourly on the wooden steps. Reaching into a pocket, the boy brought out the same note that the elderly man had given him, despite it being of a non-dry state. Dropping his wet cap back onto the balding spot it covered, the operator thumbed over the contents of the note, "What?! I didn't open this up for freebies.", looking over the paper he shot the boy another glare, "Fine, I'd rather loose some business then my head. Next time, you pay full price like everybody else." Half-heatedly he waved to the cavernous entrance behind him, already stalking to the side beside the musical box contraption. Loudly a voice began protesting inside the hero's ear, "There is no way, in any possible way will I ever, ever, get into that thing. It's covered in rust and termites; how it floats I don't even know!" He took a step towards the entrance, the impish ruler growing more demanding, "Don't you even dare, remember what happened the last time? We were nearly shot into the cliffs!" Three more steps brought him just inside as the rickety wooden door began to swing shut, her threats being drowned out with the sound of the music box roaring into motion. Gravity took control of the entire situation, forcing the pair aloft to await the inevitable end; it never was one to delay. With the final crank of the decrepit music box finished, a massive explosion rocked the rickety platform, the forged cannon piece that had protruded from the top recoiling with the effects of such a long shot.

Winds ripped past the sailing boy, arms waving in a feeble attempt to control his descent into the rapidly rising sea of sand. Barely audible above the roaring wind, a voice trickled into his ear, "I hope for your sake that stuff is soft!", his hope was turning into the only thing that might save him. Arms raised and legs followed, curling into a ball as the ground swelled up before him, impacting and bouncing jarringly across the dunes. His intended landing had been overshot by a good distance, coming to a disorienting stop partially buried in the side of a withering dune. Muffled breathing and scurrying legs were all that was visible of the buried savior, shadows coalescing out behind him. The Twili simply shook her head, scorched appendage taking hold of a flailing leg; he was useless buried like that. Without warning she pulled, dislodging the poor boy in a shower of sand and dirt, letting him lay upon his back behind her. Crimson eyes glanced down at his prone form, hovering above him, "Link, wait a minute. Before you go off into danger and all the heroic stuff, there are some things you should know. I haven't been exactly truthful with you." Azure eyes locked with hers of crimson as he sat up, sand pooling about his legs, confusion briefly flashing across his face. That is how Midna, the Twilight Princess told the boy Link about the truth behind the invasion of Twilight. How her ancestors were banished and cursed for their attempts, her own place within the Realm of Twilight, and the Usurper King's true name, Zant. Several times during the recounting of the tale she began to look away, teeth gritted in rage only to be brought back to his face by familiar gloved fingertips, waiting to continue.

The story continued, in the worst possible location for such a hesitant topic to be discussed, the uncaring sun scorching down its hatred upon the pair. Quietly had the hero sat during her tale, piercing eyes never leaving the resting place of hers, nodding once at the story's completion. The Twili's mind began to surge inside her head, hundreds of possible outcomes thundering by at what would come next; the hero refusing her plea, or simply nodding with a numb realization of what he had been doing, even laughing at her. A larger portion told her to be steeled for rejection, to be left alone again, another partially agreed voicing its side to be wary of anything that might come next but yet a smaller, quieter side told her that this hero, this Link, was different. A brief image flashed in her minds eye, of how the bestial savior had carried her to Zelda without pause or hesitation. Looming ever closer, the time to decide came. Cautiously, a dusky hand reached out, placing itself against his cheek while the tale came to a close, barely contained panic washing behind her crimson eye. "Now that you know and despite what I am, will you still help me?" The hero had known the answer to this unspoken question for quite some time, yet now the time to show his reply had finally arrived. Without mentioning a word, both of the hero's hands rose up from their place in the sand; one clasping about the diminutive one of his face, giving it a reassuring grip, gloved fingers sliding between smaller ones of dusky hues while the other gently took hold of her forearm. Rooted to the place as she was, crimson eyes wide at his reaction, he seemed unfazed to her revelations, azure eyes ever locked with hers of red, a smile already forming on his lips. Then the hero began to speak, finally having something to say upon the matter, his voice nearly causing her concentration to falter, "Are you so surprised that you have no words left?" For the first time, the sun's rays were not nearly as bothering, nor was the dry air of the desert so suffocating. Foreign thoughts and emotions tugged along the corners of her mind and an unusual thing gnawed at her stomach. A corner of her mind even going so far as to comment that she should have told him sooner if this was going to be his reaction. Eventually the flooding realization of where they were became known again, along with the required dangers.

Carefully, the impish ruler withdrew her hand from his; rising to hover above him, crimson eyes scanning the horizon. Below her the hero dusted off, azure eyes doing much the same surveying under the partial shielding of a flat hand. Far into the distance did the towers of the supposed prison rise, boldly declaring their location to any who would look. Stealing a brief glance at his gliding companion, the hero once again briefly smiled before jogging off across the rolling dunes. The impish princess trailing behind him, dissolving into his shadow quickly as the sun's intensity returned. The trek across the desert had gone smoothly as it could of, despite the elements unshakeable determination to kill the pair of them. Passing crumbling, sand choked ruins and remnants of structures, possibly buried under the sand, so the hero surmised, a voice tickling within his ear questioning the idea of placing a prison so far from anything resembling water. Thirst began to tear at his rapidly drying throat, gloved hands fumbling briefly, sweat collecting and rolling rapidly down his face and neck. Thoughtfully the old teacher had given him a canteen of water, but the hero could not place when exactly he had slipped it on him, a voice from behind suggesting that the old man was quicker then he looked. Even while the metallic container was brought to his lips, disagreeing proved problematic.

While the simple hike across the desert had been easy going, the entrance to the supposed prison was anything but unattended. Everywhere milled masked raiders, some tending to smoldering fires while others stood watch atop rickety towers. It looked like they had all been drawn to set up a camp at this exact spot, tents stretched far to the side of either direction, tethered beasts of burden rooting about in the dry, gritty earth. Warily the hero began to descent the hill that lead into the valley, unable to take more then a few steps before horns suddenly announced his detection. What little stealth remained was torn to shreds as the entire trek towards the ancient prison became a brutal, bloody affair. Progress had to be made by sheer violence, cutting a savage swath through the limitless number of assailants. Lightly colored sand became tainted with the unyielding blood of the savior's enemies, soaking into the earth along the path of destruction, no quarter or mercy given. He had long learned ago that these same masked raiders were of nothing to expect the same from, driven by their supposed king. Exhaustion threatened to end his battle on numerous occasions, the voice within his ear steeling the resolve needed to break through their ranks; demanding that he not stop, a hero would never stop, nothing within the battered hero would let the impish ruler down. Finally the gates of the prison loomed closer, those still left alive had fled quickly, their unintelligible voices screaming strings of gibberish and fear.

Pausing briefly outside the pitch black of the descending hallway, the bloodied hero nearly emptied the canteen from before. Brief feelings of uncertainty gnawed their way into his stomach at the sight of the looming structure, everything about it spoke it's age and purpose. Dark stone had been chiseled with scripts of warning and condemning curses if it was ever allowed to fall, even the shadows seemed to be alive, flickering lights dancing with a will of their own in an unseen wind. Only after entering the blackened depths did the true purpose of the place reveal itself, shadows already coalescing out from behind the hesitating hero, "This isn't just a prison…it's a tomb." The dead were restless within the Arbiter's Grounds, numbering in their thousands, buried under the burning sands for centuries and they were preparing for war. Further into the tombs they crept, the sole source of light being the boy's lantern, dual pairs of eyes straining to pierce the gloom. Ragged scraps of parchment and moldering holy symbols decorated the hallways and chambers, their potency having long since faded. The situation deteriorated rapidly from there, progress dashed by the trickery of four spirits, each dashing off into a further reach of the tomb complexes. Crimson eyes narrowed, rage boiling within her voice, "This place is insane, if the undead were not bad enough, now we have to chase down four ghosts?!" Even the hero had to shake his head; the undead were determined to slow them at every possible turn. So the crawling took a dangerous turn, each individual spirit having to be hunted down and silenced before the pair could continue.

Somehow, they managed to do just that, a brief sense of accomplishment washing over the battered boy as the four flames regained their ethereal glow. A slender elbow rested itself on his shoulder, the impish princess holding her chin aloft by the palm of her hand, "Well, that was a lovely waste of time. Let's hurry up and get to the top of this place before it just decides to cave in on us and be done with it." Azure eyes cast a skeptical look, breaking into a run at the sudden creaking of a worn chain above them. Giggling laughter echoed within his ears, mocking his ease of fright. However she was not far behind, unwilling to truly test the patience of such an unholy place. Chambers stretched further, depositing the wary pair into what looked to be a single large tomb. Driven into the stonework at the center was an etched blade, drinking in the flickering light of the torches. Whatever corrupting power that invaded this place seemed to congregate at this spot, ripping a gasp from the hero at the sudden sight of the same blade becoming airborne. Hollow laughter drifted from the empty expanse of the room, a dry crackling voice scraping along the stones, "More escapees..." Azure eyes narrowed automatically, determined steps taken as quick work would be made of this unholy specter. The battle had raged for only a few scant minutes before the cursed thing that inhabited the blade fled screaming back into the pits. It's physical shell shattered by the young swordsman, retrieving an odd device from the scorched floor. Shadows were already congealing into a physical shape, greeting the hero with a single crimson eye, "It's a toy…a toy! The dead are restless and you find another toy to play with." All the dusty boy could do was shrug his shoulders, nothing made sense anymore and arguing it did little.

At the first sign of a rising staircase, brief twinges of relief rushed through the pair, steps being eagerly climbed in anticipation to the end of the bloody black nightmare. There would be no such thing, the room beyond being the tomb of the very creature that had caused the prison to be abandoned. A massive skull lay quietly in the pits of sand, hollowed eye sockets glaring emptily at the intruding pair. Lines of ropes held the article of bone down fast; each sagging under the weight of the sheer number of holy scripts attached, even in the sand was remnants of far older wards, mixed in with bleached bones and discarded weaponry. Fighting back the shudder that traveled up the hero's spine, he stepped fully into the room. Torch lights dimmed rapidly, the familiar scorched colors and dying hues bathing the room in the ruddy glow of Twilight. The figure that seemingly had been standing atop the skull all along was not one either of them wished to see so soon; there stood the Twilight King, mockingly laughing into the growing gloom.

"I must commend you on breaking the curse little boy, you surprise me. However it will do you little good, this room is the grave of far greater warriors then you will ever be!" The bizarre, bulbous eyes of the exotic mask he wore turned from the young hero to his companion, intricately scripted tassels swaying in the grip of some unseen fell wind, already beginning to arch across the dormant skull. "Midna, I give you one last chance; let us drown this cursed world of Light under the soothing blackness of Twilight. There is still time to mend what you have wrought." Crimson eyes narrowed into a look of pure hatred and rage at the higher figure, teeth bared in a feral snarl as she spoke, "I won't rest until your heart is beating out it's last on a plate, bastard!" Even the sheer venom in her voice took the hero back slightly, azure eyes following the sharpened glare to the helmeted villain. Those same flowing robes shrugged in a brief moment of dismissal, "Then I must welcome you both to your new grave. Hope is dying boy, and with your death it will never rise again. Do try to scream, it is such enjoyable music." Eldritch energies that were gathering started to condense, forming themselves into a blackened blade, the very same that the hero had torn from the sanctified room earlier. Unceremoniously the Twilight King rammed the weapon of pure darkness into the skull, burying it to the hilt in the crackling bone. Growing pinpricks of white erupted into life inside the formerly empty sockets, a massive skeletal hand ripping from the smothering sand even as the betrayer simply faded into the shadows. The hero snapped out of his daze, taking a step in front of the impish ruler. Already she had begun to dissolve back into the shadows, the savior's instincts telling him this would be a longer fight then it seemed.

Broken and bleeding, the hero staggered his way to the top of the Grounds, exhaustion threatening to end his trek after every step. Ahead floated the impatient Twili, crimson eyes demanding a faster pace. He could do little more then simply smile, wearily catching up and cresting the final steps to the top of the prison. The simple action of entering the area caused a thundering rumble to rip across the worn stonework, the remains of a chained prison and altar rising before the pair. High atop the individual towers, ghostly images and ethereal bodies began to shimmer into existence, starting the slow descent down. Rapidly the exiled ruler glided to where the Mirror rested, despair taking hold at the sight of only one fragment laying within the housing. Behind her stood the hero, leaning quietly on the weapon that had carried him this far into the desert alive. Voices tickled at the edges of his hearing, azure eyes rocketing skyward as they began to speak in coherent speeches, "Chosen of the gods, we welcome you to the eternal prison. Your questions are many, but the Kingdom has little time for answers.", another voice picked up in the same manner, "We know the world has changed and will continue to change, even this divine cell is no longer protected." Finally the ethereal beings floated down into sight, several of them ringing around the mirror's pedestal, disembodied masks floating above eerily graceful bodies. When one spoke, neither of the pair could understand which it was. "We thank you for cleansing the prison of its foul taints, the scourges of the sand multiplied, coupled with a foreign threat that loomed closer." Red and blue eyes met briefly, curious looks exchanged between them before the next Sage continued, "They who met in conflict here, unwilling to submit. Both vanished under the shifting dunes, leaving the divine essence unattended to weaken and crumble." Another finished quietly, it's voice echoing across the silent stones, "And Then the usurpers came, eagerly devouring what little Light remained. Unable to resist, the divine purpose was twisted, corrupted into one serving the twisted designs of that which was thought banished."

Stepping before them, the hero crossed his arms, shadowy companion hovering just above his shoulder at the tales being spun. A single Sage turned to face them, stepping in the center and motioning not to the hero, but to the one floating above his side, "You, Princess of Twilight are the one who can rebuild the mirror now. Its fragments are scattered across the Kingdom, one within the frozen tops of the world, another held by those of a forgotten temple, the final piece is within the depths of ancient places and thickest uncertainty." Crimson eyes narrowed briefly, arms being folded, "Tell me then, Sages; where did Zant find the power he now wields?" Each spectral being stopped suddenly, their motions hinting at entrapment, ethereal masks focused across from another, the entire gathering dissolving into a massive argument. Hesitantly, one of the spectral beings began at last to tell of the reason for the sudden invasion by the Twilight Realm. Azure eyes remained transfixed at the gathering, listening to the attempted execution of the Demon Thief and the subsequent banishment into the Twilight. It was punctured by bickering, voices a cacophony of accusations and dismissals. Instantly the princess of Twilight understood where the usurper had found his new strength, the same strength that had caused her banishment and resulting affliction to this form.


	4. Top of the World

Disclaimer: Again I own the nothings and the lack of anything. Nintendo owns it all.

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**_"May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.  
May your mountains rise into and above the clouds." - Edward Abbey_**

By the time the four ethereal sages had finished their tale, the pair had already concluded the next course of action. The mirror being less then whole coupled with the sage's brazen idea to throw the Demon Thief into Twilight had raised her ire higher then any thing to date. Rage and despair mingled in a melting pot while the exiled ruler leaned against the base of the mirror's stand. That single red eye drilling holes into the metalwork. A bit bloodied and far from rested, the hero lay casually against the hewn altar, more interested in the agitated Twili then the feuding spectral sages.

Still the ghosts cowered, resorting to arguments amongst themselves for blame. The hero had enough; silencing every bickering word with the resounding echo of an annoyed strike. Nothing more was spoken save the unmoving glare of azure. Despite the moral questions of the hero actually striking down one of them, they unanimously agreed that it was possible. Ethereal sages rallied themselves, one being chosen or more appropriately, forced into speaking the locations of the mirror portions. The impish ruler had already floated to the hero's shoulder, hovering quietly. None of the emotionless masks met her gaze, only the speaker found enough courage to level with the hero.

They listened intently, the growing legend marking down locations on his map for future reference. Stealing glances at one another, confirming the next leg of the journey with a nod. Steps were hesitant though, a gnawing uncertainty flooding him with unmentionable questions. A red eye caught his confusion, diminutive hands placing their dusky fingertips along his jaw. The ghostly sages only perceived the movement of her lips, ending with a snaggle-fanged smile. It erased the wash of doubt from the hero's face. The spies were treated to the pair dissolving into shadows and blackened squares. Spectral masks turned to one another, reigniting the arguments from before. It looked unlikely to be settled in this lifetime.

For the briefest moments of rest, the crystal waters of the Zora court felt like paradise. The weight of the world suspends for no one and before the sun scorched hero could shut his eyes, they were off once more. Crystal blue rushing up to meet him, the whipping of the rising wind tearing at his cap and it was all glorious. Ex-ruler hiding again within his shadow, voicing her complaints about the coming drop; he heard nothing but the sound of his own hollering yell. Again the revitalizing water greeted him as an old friend, erasing the burdens and doubts of a hero in an instant. It was fated to last only an instant, watery soldiers directing the hero to the defrosted cavern, mentioning strange visitors and mysterious intentions. "The point of guards is to keep people out, not let anyone wander freely without interruption.", quipped the impish ruler. He fought back a snicker drawing perplexed looks from the flanking sentinels. Questioning each other after the hero had passed, swearing to hear the sound of two voices laughing.

It became abundantly clear that whatever sun shined in the Snowpeak Mountains, did not want to shine at that moment even if it existed. Long before the first icicles were seen, the wind had already whipped through the savoir, colder then a wound from the shadow. Wind chilling enough to the point of driving the Princess of Twilight to the shadow of his shield, wedging comfortably against something warm. All the growing hero could do was smile, letting thoughts of a certain Ordonian maiden and life drift a little further away. All of those thoughts were interrupted by a peculiar sight; either it was a very skinny yeti garbed in plate mail and a white shawl or a climber had gotten quite lost. Yetis did not exist so it had to be the latter, the hero hoped at least. His passenger fidgeted from within her hideaway.

That cloaked figure turned to face the would-be climber, abruptly knocking the speculation from his mind. "Hey Link, what brings you to the edge of Snowpeak? I was climbing the ledges when something moved out at me, managed to get a sketch of it." Speech formed inside his mind but came out only as a coughing gasp of air, the bitter cold stealing the very words away. It helped disguise the fact that her name was the farthest thing on his mind at the time. "Oh, the mirror is broken right. Shad mentioned that to me before I left. Did he ever tell you?", Ashlei started after pulling down the cowl of her shawl, smiling sweetly at the hero. The shake of his head gave the answer, turning to gaze at an object in the bleak distance. Something growled at the armored climber.

A moment flashed by before the hero understood where it came from, unable to do more then pat his stomach gingerly, despite the underlying annoyance at not being told about the mirror beforehand. That same voice from earlier murmured its way into his ear, "So this is how the Kingdom of Light runs? Here I thought it was harder to conquer then that." The ruse worked thankfully, the resistance member oblivious to the real threat. Though in the process, some tidbit of information about the sketch was lost to him, something about fish. It turned out to matter nothing, as the hero was abruptly handed the very sketch and motioned away with another sweet smile and promise of seeing him again, somewhere warmer. The exiled Twili nearly lost it right then and there.

Reactions honed to the finest edges of tempered steel were the only things that kept the skull of one Ashlei firmly connected to her body. A blindingly fast about face and ensuing jog down the icicle lined tunnel was her rescuer. The emblem of the Triforce pulsed faintly in the gloom; heroes don't let innocents die, even if it was justly deserved. At least that's what the hero's mind kept arguing with itself over. It was only then that the touch of short dusky arms became noticeable; the look of a crimson eye accompanied them. The same apologetic look was given to the dethroned ruler, his words cut off by the holding aloft of a palm. She gave him a look, speaking volumes without ever saying a word. Chastising him lightly even while melting back into the shadow of his shield, "You're too forgiving and willing to be everyone's errand boy." Even as the world faded into scorched colors and blackened squares, he could say nothing.

The Hero found the dry, dusty air of the Kakariko Village billowing into his face but it wasn't cold. Words failed him at how glad he was that it was anything but cold. Checking around the village came as a bit of a stretch, but it was all they had, asking the recently orphaned prince about the sketch. Neglecting to show it to any of the soldiers in the waterfall basin, and not completely favorable to the idea of returning, especially near that frigid cave entrance limited the list of possible places to search. The shaman knew where the prince was, in fact everyone knew. The boy hardly left the site of the gravestone behind the graveyard. Even the lapsed memory of the Odin maiden knew, though by the fortune or misfortune a meeting never took place. A shadow behind giggled, or so it sounded.

For a prince, the young Zora seemed awfully trusting of others. Only a little talking had somehow convinced the soon to be king to hand over an earring that his own slain mother had gifted. The hero smiled and gave a thankful nod, oblivious to the boys coming to terms and commitment to being strong. A certain Twili chipped in with her thoughts, aiding to the complete ignoring of the child's speech, "Isn't he trusting and sweet, no wonder the queen was murdered so easily! Idiots." The boy talked on, smiling broadly in front of the man, oblivious to the venom just a few scant inches away. Another thankful nod and splash carted the savoir off, back towards the domain of the Zora. Silence was treated as a reprieve, haunting images of an executed queen being forcefully pushed from his mind. It only served to pull far worse ones of someone quite closer into the gap. Shudders wracked the hero for a moment, concern welling in his passenger's throat briefly until she passed it off as the chill from the water.

The sheer insanity of it all never hit the hero until he was there, under the waterfall fishing for a "Reekfish". Even the name gave him the hints of a headache, his impish companion strangely quiet. Any other day, it would have been laughed off as simply crazy, catching a fish in order to sniff it. All to follow a supposedly mythical yeti, only known to exist by the rough sketch, made by a muscled climber who liked him only a little too much. Those trails of thought were interrupted by said fish being caught by said hook. A comment from above was ignored, the lupine hero already very well aware of the term "Reekfish" being grossly inadequate for the stench. It nearly gagged him even before he developed the courage to take a whiff.

Scent ingrained in his mind and Twili clinging to his back, the lupine set off once more into the blizzards of Snowpeak Mountain. His passenger did little more then shiver, the ragged breaths and wintry silence bringing back the flood memories from the frantic trek to the castle. The feral mind perched inside his skull resolved against a repeat, making the numbing chill slow him just a bit less and white landscape that clouded his vision a little weaker. Unable to find warmth in the freezing onslaught of the wind, the huddled Princess buried her chattering face into the scruff of the wolf's neck. The lupine protector, already spying a meager place of shelter, furiously cleared a path against the billowing snow. Time slipped away from her, letting the wintry landscape slip into darkness.

Dreams came as they often do in sleep, voicing of happier times and less dire situations. The dreams of the Twilight Princess were none of these things, drenched in the blood of heroes and villains. There was no more wind but the area was pitch black, even she could not pierce the darkness. A moment of silence came until he appeared, the bastard that was the supposed start of it all, except it wasn't the despicable Demon Thief. It was Zant, or more accurately it was the body of Zant, standing devious and unmoving as a wall to everything she stood for. Except the closer the Twili looked, the more it dawned he was missing things, several things to be precise. The leering helmet was gone, replaced by the stump of a severed neck; arms too had been hacked off and she would swear by every power possessed that the sword the hero carried was embedded firmly in the corpse's torso. One thing was missing however, the owner of the sword that jutted out from the body of Zant, the hero. The butchered body of Zant, she corrected herself. Something warm and wet dabbled onto her cheek. Crimson eyes threw themselves wide at the touch of her palm to the substance, mocking prints of red waving back at her. The Twilight Princess looked up. She screamed.

The hero had the greatest of intentions, attempting to wake the slumbering imp with a lick to her cheek. Those same intentions were trampled by the wayside at the brutal blow she threw at him. Little more could be done then to suffer it, recoiling into the wall with a resounding echo. When the fitful Twili was approached again, it was under more cautious terms. Already woken from the horrible nightmare, the lupine savoir expected another beating when she launched towards him. Guessing her to be a sage in disguise and offering him a room full of rupees might have been a safer bet. Those same diminutive hands which felt almost flimsy before, gripped the sides of his muzzle in a deathly clench. Crown of Fused Shadows, the symbol of her power tumbled off its perch in the face of the rapid drive toward him. Twin irises of crimson bored holes past his own, nearly spearing directly through him against the thickly frosted wall.

What came next would have quite possibly blown the poor creatures feral mind, if the exiled ruler had not of taken the liberty to transfigure the Hyrulian back into his humanoid shape. Arms stronger then forged steel gripped as much as they were able around the bewildered hero, the scorched oranges and sanguine yellows arching over a shoulder firmly connecting to the scabbard. Confronted with his imagined death in the mind of another, the hero did exactly what anyone would do; stand there dumbfounded and silent. It mattered little to the rattled imp, her face buried into the fabric of the green tunic. Only when the presence of a heartbeat, firmly vibrating against her forehead did the distraught Twili lax on the death grips. A streaked face still fought conflicting emotions as crimson eyes caught the blank reply of azure.

Try as he might, few people would ever let the hero speak. Such was not the case now having found the voice of a warrior and a protector surging within his lungs. Concern clamored over rational thought, already having palms clasped to the sides of her face and thumbs brushing away the unyielding streams of water. "Midna, what happened?", the question broke the sound of endless sobs. They returned as quickly as banished, the hero's question hanging in the air. Finally the shaken imp began, those red eyes unflinching from his while the story was retold. "Z-Zant…he was dead, mutilated is more the word.", even he did not miss the shudder that convulsed through her shaking frame. "When I looked up..", again she hesitated, sputtering intelligible words into his tunic. "I looked up and you were there, screaming at me to get away even as-", the Twili never finished the story, dissolving into another fit momentarily while the hero stood aghast. It took the transfixed savoir a moment to simply swallow, painful as it was. Now it was the first time he had been rendered honestly speechless, unable to decide on any more then to merely rest his cheek to the crown of her hair. The world would wait a bit for the Twilight Princess to gather herself, even if the hero had to make it.

Time steeled the exile princess once more, yet the reluctance to let go was obvious. The smoldering colors of her locks unwinding from around the hero, plucking the crown from the frozen floor back to where it was intended to rest. Hovering out of his reach, diminutive back turned to him while she spoke, "We should get going, wasted enough time here." Objecting was too soft a word to describe him at the moment, voicing his palpable concern with the lightest touch to her turned shoulder. The response was the unceremonious transmutation back into a less civilized state, complete with digging heels and a pat to his forehead. Little more could be done then, save one last fleeting look at his passenger before darting back into the snow covered landscape. Scaling the mountain took precedence over her state, so he argued with himself. It was a hard sell even for the once ranch hand.

There would be times when the brawling hero thought that his impish companion's sole purpose was to casually touch him in the direst of situations, or the most inane. The latter being the case currently, a light hand resting gently on his shield arm even while they both looked up at the yeti, positively perplexed. The whole bit about hitting the tree and sliding down the mountain drew a groan. Unexpectedly the Twili giggled this time, "Well go on, be a good little hero and hit the tree so we can follow the walking winter coat." A dagger filled glare only caused her mirth to raise more, laughter echoing from within the darkness of his shield. Nothing else could be done save following the yeti, so the frozen leaf was taken down the slopes of the mountain.

A tree had decided to situate itself between him and the path ahead, making its presence known with a resounding impact and resulting echo of discomfort. From somewhere behind him, a voice chipped in with its thoughts, "Those are called 'trees'. They grow and keep the ground where it is, or in your case make you look stupid when you hit one." The bump on the hero's face would heal; the prick to his pride was questionable. It went by smoothly from there, though the boy would swear the trees were laughing at him now. The shattering of his leaf board broke the paranoid thoughts from their hold. Attentions were brought back to the present by the expansive view of a fortified mansion on a rock outcropping in the valley. Casually the exiled princess floated out from her favored hiding place, pausing to give the decrepit looking mansion a once over. "What's with this guy? First we slide down the side of a mountain and now we have to follow him into this shabby looking dump." That red eye turned its focus to the hero, slender arm motioning towards the treacherous looking building. "Well go on, if we're to get the mirror fragment there's no point standing out here freezing to death. Be a hero already!" With that she had already dissolved back into her hiding place. Something gnawed into the pit of his stomach at the run down sight, something about not falling.

Whatever forces that kept the decrepit mansion aloft on the outside looked much worse for wear on the inside. It only became stranger the further in the pair went. The hero could not begin to decide, be it the soup kitchen, the yeti woman giving an informal tour of their abode or the simple fact of finding the most out of place things here. It started with the pumpkin; even his impish compatriot had been silent for a moment at its discovery. "A pumpkin. A pumpkin?! Why would anyone, ever place a pumpkin in a chest, locked away in a moldering room at the other side of a mountain.", she huffed a bit more. "Come on, let's take it back to that yeti woman and hit her over the head with it, maybe it'll jog her memory better." That comment caused a simple shake of his head, underneath the surface it felt strangely appropriate and still a darker side found it hilarious. The yeti woman looked apologetic, gesturing to deliver the out of place thing to her husband. Despite the addition of the new ingredient, the room still smelt of yeti and Reekfish. _Old_ yeti and Reekfish, the voice murmured into his ear. Disagreeing was proving difficult.

The rusty ball and chain came as a bit of a surprise. Comments about using it to persuade certain individuals to be more forthcoming with information were not. Ordon goat cheese merely caused the Twili to break into peals of fitful laughter, leaving the hero unable to do more then scratch the back of his head absently. Into the strange culinary confection it went, out poured the vilest odors known to man. They lingered long enough to fill a bottle with the masterpiece and leave, trekking to the newest location of the supposed mirror fragment. The exiled ruler being quite vocal on her wishes to use that blunt instrument on the locals, unable to help the smile creeping onto his face. Inevitably the second fragment was brought into their custody, his impish partner taking it into safe keeping. The grip of evil had been broken on the ruins of Snowpeak, the yeti couple was free and the hero had all the soup he could ever want. "A soup that's stench will peel the mortar from stonework. Gratitude from two walking coats and a rusty old ball and chain to haul around with you into the ever unknown, did I miss anything? No? Good, let's go find the other two fragments before anyone else is harmed." That caustic smile was overturned by a single gesture, his thumb placing itself against her lips. The dethroned ruler made a sputtering face and whirled about, glaring spear points over at the grinning hero. "You smell like yeti and Reekfish.", another face was made before correcting herself, "_Old_ yeti and Reekfish." Spinning around once more the Twili faced him, hands grasping to his shoulders. "That's fine; you're getting a bath anyway." The look of horror on his face was priceless.

The hero wholly expected to be dropped into the lake of Hyrule from a massive height, somewhere around the bridge. What actually happened however was little more then a short drop. Trails of laughter echoed across the surface of the water, all from the banished ruler. His response was one of bubbles, many, many bubbles drifting to the surface. That floppy cap, to which few people could accurately predict why it was worn, was already being wrung out by the time the drenched protagonist had surfaced. Depositing the still waterlogged cap back to its rightful place, the impish Twili glided away. She paused a short distance from the floating savoir, throwing an edged stare at him. "Come on, chop chop! This isn't the time or place for you to be taking a leisurely bath in the middle of a dirty lake. You know none of these morons will actually get off their duff and do anything on their own." The reply came as a sideways glance; it went back as a snaggle-fanged grin. Sighing as he began to tread water, it became glaringly obvious that this was one battle he could never win.


	5. Maw of Madness

Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing but my brain and even then, it's purpose is dubious.

Authors Notes: This chapter was a difficult one to write effectively, but here is the best way to explain how it flows. Once the pair enter the Temple, imagine the two parts as different movies playing at the same time. The story focuses on the more important one (the Tour) and in order to bring focus to it, the current scene is 'graying out'. Basically, the graying out is like putting it on pause or shifting your attention away from it, the events are still playing out, but the Tour is of greater importance and gets most of the focus. If it's still clear as mud by the end, feel free to slide me a PM and I will explain it better once you've read it once.

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**_"Life is a paradox, you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't." - Nancy Cartwright_**

"Go on Link, give my friend a try here! You'll be impressed by his abilities!", Rusl started. The swordsman only succeeded in drawing a skeptical look from the hero. Into the cup of his ear a voice murmured, "If you don't strike him, I will.", something inside readily agreed. A golden cuckoo squawked incessantly around the pair, merrily making a nuisance of it's self until it was picked up. With one last approving nod given to the man off the hero leapt into the air, gliding startlingly well into the previously inaccessible unknown. Lingering a few moments longer to view him off, the swordsman turned to begin the hike back to the village. Musing quietly to him self along the path, "I wonder how the baby is doing."

The first sounding of a wooden trumpet brought confusion to the hero's face, continuing to echo throughout the ancient grove. Cautiously the impish ruler ventured out from her secretive spot, hovering just above his shoulder. Over winding overgrown paths they trudged, under moldering logs suspended by vines and past reed choked ponds. Music from that trumpet following them, breaking off every surface. When the path ended at a set of mossy stairs, all sounds hushed themselves, the grove silent save the breathing of the pair. Greeting the two at the top was a view ripped straight from legends, daybreak lazily piercing through the tangled canopy, timeless masonry fighting off the elements and sculpted statues holding their duty with unmovable vigor. Partially leaning onto a sturdy set of stone railing, he became aware of the pedestal for the weapon he now carried.

Nothing else to go on coupled with determined purpose led the savoir to the very spot where he previously drew the sword. Motes of red gliding past snatched his attention away from the floor work, momentarily pinned against the wall by her gaze. "I hope you know what you're doing.", spoke an uncertain princess. His response did nothing to reassure her, only giving a shrug before implanting the sword back into its pedestal. Both whirled about at the sound of contained energy being exhausted, the air thick with a drowning thrum. Azure eyes squinted at the top of the ruined staircase, a red eye followed. Whatever reason for the shabby door to be blocked was gone, its protector having since vanished. His impish companion retreated behind; tiny hands grasped to a shoulder while the hero hesitantly unlocked the door. Sights that greeted him were unexpected in the least; the interior of the frame shimmered dully, revealing the washed out insides of a building much younger then the growth choked ruins spoke of. Gathering the courage that was imbued within him, the hero marched forward into the glimmering gateway. Sticking close, the exiled ruler kept behind.

Bursting forth from the liquid embrace of the door, the duo was standing within a restored temple. Gold work glittered from various surfaces, railings and pots decked in its leafy patterns. Polished statues unflinchingly stood their guard much like the pair outside the door. "At least these don't talk.", quipped his shoulder. "Yet.", the hero added for her, being rewarded with an amused giggle. Doors from all sides beckoned to him, several gilded, pristine as the temple around them while others looked more decrepit and more flimsy then the ruins perched in Snowpeak. One door called out to him louder then its brothers, a massively ornate set of double doors serving as the entrance so the boy surmised. Tentatively his hands reached out, grasping around the golden handles. Well behind him, a voice of concern fell on deaf ears. Later he would admit to her being correct.

Images and names scorched flaming pathways through his mind, faces and dialects, words and phrases all mingled into one massive garbled message of disaster. Reincarnations of a hundred different Princess' of Light, a hundred more of the Demon Thief and still more of himself. The very sight tearing the agony induced breath from his lungs in a chilling scream of torment. Becoming a comet of light and pain, blasted back into the sealed portal that brought the hero here, his body crumpling against the glittering marble floor. Ears told him of screams and crying yet his eyes refused to see. Gingerly the bloodied savoir stood, except that his body did not stand with him. Azure sight grew wide unable to move his gaze from the Princess of Twilight, clutching at his green tunic and shaking furiously. "Get up! You're just being lazy, now get up!", the body showed little cooperation. Shades of gray clouded his vision, the world ticking to a standstill as he watched, enamored with the single droplet racing down the cheek of his companion.

Pottery began to shake as something moved closer, throwing open the doors that blasted the hero into the portal. A massive figure, easily dwarfing even the Goron patriarch, stormed to the shaken boy, abruptly lifting him aloft with a gauntleted hand that could crush his skull merely by touch. The voice of a bellowing giant, duty given by divine means reverberated from within the empty helmet that constituted for its head. "You, Hero of Twilight jeopardize everything!" Struggling vainly against the superior grip, all Link could do was watch helplessly as the very fabric of reality crawled to a stop, that tear hanging in place. Hatred flooded his mind, hazing over his thoughts in a sea of red and violence, helpless and unable to act. Sounds tickled the corners of his hearing while the divine being continued to berate the Savior of Light, "Your path is clouded, impure and tainted by the darkness! Even now divine rage does not course through your blood, but the hatred for being taken away." Jarring cracks pierced his sides when the armored sentinel hurled the hero away, impassively watching him bounce with unseen eyes. Anguish tore at the beaten hero's every nerve, skidding to a halt against the dais of a golden statue.

Sounds, memories and hints of laughter brought the broken boy back to his senses, echoes of lighter footsteps ringing in his ears. Tortured muscles hauled the body aloft, unsteady in a stance of defense. Whatever guardian the armored sentinel was, it had dropped to one knee before the door, only now did the hero become aware of another presence. Bloodshot eyes of azure picked out the shape of a child, no older then any of the children from Karkiko. His eyes spoke of a greater age, higher then recordable. The child was garbed in an eerily similar tunic and cap, proudly radiating a sense of blinding glory and power. Speaking with no discernable movement, the battered Hero of Twilight heard every word, "Come, we have much to discuss in this hour of dire need. The future stands shrouded in darkness and your path hangs on the edge of a blade. Much must be done to salvage your efforts." Turning on his heel, the child of Time started to stalk back into the hallway. Following with an unsteady gait, the savoir of Twilight fell in line behind the young one, allowing the sentinel to march after the duo. Its massive gauntlets gripped the gilded handles of the doorway, slamming shut the hallway while the world ticked back into step slowly, grays blooming with colors lost.

Words began to filter in, pleading cries and furious shaking. "Wake up damn it! Heroes don't die this way, they never die this way!" Something wet and cool hit his face, dragging a groan from his frazzled lungs, the hero's voice cracking with pinpricks of pain, "W-Who says…I've died?" Relief flooded the haggard Twili's face, tiny arms stretched around his fallen body before reluctantly releasing. Hovering away slowly, erasing the streaks from her face while the boy stood agonizingly, feet becoming unresponsive. Speaking from over a shoulder, the impish princess threw a bouncing glance between the devious doorway and bloodied hero, "After you grabbed the handles, it flung you into that door and you weren't moving. I thought it killed you." That crimson eye turned away, scrutinizing some detail about the offending handles; she whirled back around, arms firmly crossed, "So, are you done with your little break and ready to find the fragment?" Instead of a nod, the reply was a smile while a door was selected, complete with a respectable distance from the original portal that nearly killed him. Following him closely her grip tighter then before on his shoulder.

Both were utterly unaware of the halting of reality around them, caught in the growing splotches of gray. A reassuring smile was given in response to a snaggle-fanged grin. Another door threw itself open, a golden haired child leading a stumbling boy of dirty blonde, holding one hand aloft to silence the latter. "I hear your thoughts as clearly as my own, Hero of Twilight. You wonder how you can be here and yet over there you are also." Whirling around on a heel, the child gave the older one an exasperated look, "Explaining it would take precious moments we do not have. Suffice to say, we absconded with a facet of your mind, the one that has feelings for this..", pausing momentarily, black eyes searching rapidly for a name, "Midna, one Midna I believe it is. She is the one who cloaks your purpose in darkness; you are being shown these things in effort to erase any attachments you have to her. The line will falter and Evil shall triumph." Never missing a step, the child led the hero to a door, throwing it open with little fanfare. Motioning quickly before pointing into the gloom still standing firm in the face of a fell wind, his compatriot doing much the same, azure eyes squinting to pierce the shadows. Unmentionable horrors greeted back at him, cruelly mutated beasts and men stalked the shattered land, ash and soot cloaked all in a haze of black and dust. Even the sky bled tears of red. Hardly fazed, the steward continued, "What you see is the Hryule that will come to be after you leave. Darkness will flood the land and the inevitable will come to pass. Your precious Twilight will survive untouched by these mutating powers, the second shattering will see to it."

The Hero of Twilight stood aghast, sights and pictures clawing their way into his mind, tearing into the foundation he had come to expect. Emotions of revulsion welled up inside his stomach, a voice screaming at them. It wasn't his own but familiar, enough to expect a faint giggle to echo after. The steward began again while closing the door to that hellish place, "That is only the immediate results. Come, Hero of Twilight, there is more to see and weigh upon your mind. In time, we are confident you will change the error of your ways and cast aside the being of Twilight." Those swelling chunks of disgust manifested themselves physically; the Hero of Twilight retched onto the ground. A slight twist of frown marred the flawless face of the steward. Child-like features growing more agitated at the perceived weak hero. Twin points of azure threatened to pin the young child of Time to the wall, dagger filled glares leveled at him while the taller hero stood. Unsteady steps brought the disoriented boy in line behind the impatient steward, following silently through another gilded door. Multi-hues of color streaked into the room, previously immobile figures becoming animated once again.

Leaning over the edge of an oversized chest, the Hero of Twilight produced the most unusual artifact from its depths. Shadows behind him coalesced into a curious Twili, hovering around the edges of his sight. "It's a stick, why is there a stick in a temple that's in the past, but we're here in the future..", she paused considering the current predicament they were in. All of her mental work ended up giving her a throbbing headache, "Forget it, this whole place is beyond anything I care to explain." Crimson eyes glanced to the bent hero, a whole hour of dormant trickery rising in one sudden swat. Scorched hues of her idle extension lashing out upending the poor boy in a sudden yelp. The newly acquired treasure clattering across the marbled floor, as he sat up in a daze bizarre looks were given to the floating imp. An unasked question quietly answered with the motioning of a slender arm, the space where he once hunched over bristled in glittering spikes. Gliding back over to him, same slender hand deposited itself against his forehead, "Pay attention! I'm going to chalk that up to whatever throttled you earlier with that door, don't forget you are supposed to be the hero here. Be heroic! I shouldn't have to hold your hand in this place." From the slightest glint of her crimson iris, the savior of Hyrule speculated she wasn't terribly opposed to the idea.

Retracing the path of the errant rod, he held it aloft into the glittering glow of the caramel windows, it looked simple enough. Except for the flowing script work that christened it, 'The Dominion Rod'. Tiny hands unnecessarily lifted the dethroned ruler higher, mouthing the name over his shoulder. She lost it. "The Dominion Rod? What kind of thing even needs something so stupidly named," Sucking in a bit of breath while the vocal chords deepened, belching out the absurd name with the flare of a monarch, "The Dominion Rod! If you point that at me, you're getting another bath and this time I won't be so generous.", threatened the Twili. Amusing images danced across the hero's mind, interrupted by a sudden clout to the back of his head. She caught the snicker. Fighting down the infectious laughter that tugged its way into his lungs, he began to lead away towards another door, hesitantly grasping the handle before throwing it wide. Already shades of gray were trickling in from the corners of the room

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Quietly the steward continued to lead on, abruptly pausing beside an ordinary doorway. Mind filled with murderous thoughts, the battered Hero of Twilight halted his march in the center of the inconspicuous room. Perceptive glances put together a brief picture of the area, multiple doors lining each wall. Childlike eyes lifted up to watch the older savior, "You still cling to her, a rat on the waves. Will you not turn your eyes to the greater good?" An outstretched hand rocketed forward, hushing the words even before the taller one could speak. "Your speeches are irrelevant; the Hero of the Sacred Realm is one of duty. Personal effects and other tidbits of a mortal mind are to be cast aside, hewn from the conscience so that the evil is cleansed." No sooner then the ramble of the boy had finished, doors began to open. If the previous stop had been earth shaking, what followed would tear it asunder. Children of various ages, hair and eye colors began to wander into the chamber. One common motif stretched across the entire assembled body, they all wore green tunics and green caps. Hesitating but a moment the steward spoke again, "These are those that follow you, should you turn back to the righteous path. Some no older then a boy named Colin, if that name has meaning to you, Hero of Twilight." The most horrifying ordeal was yet to happen, in unison the entire score of children bellowed, "We that come to pass shall never be if the one of Twilight does not light his path.", then they started to scream.

Screeching, demanding that he do away with his foolhardy thoughts and selfish desires. Azure eyes scrunched tightly, legs backpedaling to the wall while hands rose to shield his ears. Facing the roaring throng of potential heroes, the one of Twilight voiced his response, an ear shattering denial that disintegrated the congealing mass of rowdy boys. The emblem of Courage etched onto his hand ablaze with power, channeling his reply louder. Sand swirled within the room, briefly writhing in the turmoil of the brawling forces until dying down, doors flailing open to whisk the remnants away. Brief sounds were all that echoed inside the chamber, a haggard gasping breath and the withering glance of a young child. Nonplussed by the older outburst, "A more stubborn one I have yet to meet. Readily you condemn them, all for the sake of one. One that is not even of the Light.", unwilling to miss a beat the steward was walking to another door. Unlocking the portal, in a growing air of annoyance the child stepped through, doorway remaining open while the Hero of Twilight followed, deathly silent.

Into the next room the dubious pair trekked, the startled gasp from an older hero killing the silence. A nightmare of the most blood-soaked dreams would be more favorable then the sights that awaited him in that last chamber. Two steel barred cages lay in the center, inside were two familiar faces. One looked upon the savior with a forlorn expression of hope, the other simply demanded to know what was going on. Vastly conflicting emotions ran the gamut of his mind; it should not even be possible. Crimson eyes danced from blue to blue, the connection being made almost immediately. A back was turned, slender hand motioning dismissively at the others. The maiden reached out, struggling to reach further despite the immovable barrier, screaming momentarily as the cages were raised. Stopping with the grinding of ancient gears, the two prisons swung unsteadily, voices of children breaking the trance from the hero. "Hero of Twilight, redemption or damnation stands side by side. There is only one path to walk, one life to save and result to bring. Choose." The swordsman looked completely stupefied, indecisive thoughts raging throughout the battered mind. Another grinding partially broke the disorientation, both of the floors dropped away. He stood rooted to the ground, unable to act, the voices grew louder, "One is to save and one is to cast aside. Choose."

Helplessly the hero watched, dual voices of terror piercing his ears. The ground welled up closer, threatening to shatter both of them upon impact. Still the voices grew more desperate, nearly shrieking, "Choose Hero of Twilight, you must choose!" It was made even before setting foot on the marbled floors. Hesitation and doubt blasted out of the hero's conscience, boots thundering across the hardened floor. Enthralled with the sight the voices were silent, watching the bounding boy leap into the unknown. Gloved hands outstretched, arms curling protectively around a falling body. Azure eyes caught the grateful glint of crimson in the tumbling world, fingers clutching desperately while the circling stopped. Thoughtfully his limbs untwined from the protected charge, confusion at the absence of the impish Twili replaced with agony. Gauntleted fists drove into his stomach, spittle coating the ground before a dark side of the armored hands sent him sprawling. An ordinary door did not stop the flight, busting through the wooden frame and continuing past another, several more cracking under the impact. Ornately gilded doors swung wide, allowing the body of the savior safe passage through, impacting firmly against the same steps at the start of the madness. Strength left him, marbled panels becoming comfortable as exhaustion spread its hazy grip.

From somewhere above, a dusky hand waved at him, half-lidded eyes blinked weakly. Since when did hands randomly wave at heroes? Murmuring voices tickled the corners of his hearing, one particular scolding voice breaking into the forefront, "Hey! Are you listening to me? Get up, that was just a scratch and you know it." Begging to differ, the Hero of Twilight remained immobile until waves of realization swept over him in a tide of awareness and vigor. Rapidly sitting up, close to knocking away a familiar face in the sharpening world, "Careful! You're the one who gets in harms way, not me.", complained that same voice. Iris of crimson glared furiously, hovering freely out of reach. Unwilling to move quite yet, he simply looked up into the room, gaze lingering largely on the gigantic golden scales. Voices flooded into his mind speaking in eerie union, "Such a disappointment you are, Hero of Twilight. Logic does not deter you, truth will not open your eyes and choice will not sway your path. Time will change that."

With the glittering reflection of his face in the scales base, the voices hushed. Dusky hands touched the tensed shoulders of the swordsman, edging a curious face into the edge of his vision, "Link, are you in there? If not, I'm swatting you again." Azure eyes whirled about, facing the cautious Twili, his answer came in a partially smiling nod. "Fine.", sighed the exiled ruler, "But you've been acting strange since we set foot in this nightmarish place. Took one too many blows to the skull?" She couldn't find any discernable signs of a response, shrugging diminutive shoulders in the process. In moments another doorway had been chosen, opening it briskly to find the pair back at the entrance to the temple complex. Those same statues still stood their guard, gilded works shimmering in the caramel glows.

Such serenity was fractured, the whistling arch of a sword strike reflected off a tempered shield. Both hands having been used to deflect the brutal strike, the hero's arms shaking under the weight. Pearled teeth gritted under the onslaught, legs widening as the attacking weapon increased its pressure. With the shedding of sparks, that honed blade retracted its assault leaving the Hero of Twilight diving to the side, abandoned blade snatched up during the tumbling slide. Shadows began to coalesce behind him, words of caution ignored. The well worn blade showed itself again, driving towards the distracted savior's middle. Sidestepping quickly to bring his weapon up, driving the flat of the offending sword into the air while charging under, edged instrument swung wild in an arching smash. Normally reverently quiet, the Temples sanctity was shattered by the echoes of combat, rebounding hard off the metal of a similar worn shield. Voices chattered mindlessly, working themselves into a single defined noise, "As ever, you are certainly capable of performing my lost art. I can only wish this meeting here was on better terms.", speaking with far worse then simple chastising intentions, spoke the attacker.

Only then when the first few moments of combat had subsided did the ragged boy look upon his opponent, a gaunt face gazed back, pin pricks of white serving for eyes. Decked in time worn armor and sporting the same aged blade and vine covered shield as before, stood the mysterious tutor from his dreams. As the boy's mouth began to open in protest a humorous laugh still his speech, "Come now Hero of Twilight, even you must know what will happen the moment you set foot outside this Temple. The current Steward will never be appointed to his position and the line will become fractured." That skeletal grin did little to ease the words of the former ally.

Heavy footsteps brought the towering figure before the lesser hero, shield arm raised as the aged blade lay angled downward. Lesser in size and age, the younger swordsman brought his blade up defiantly, raking a single stroke across his superior. Deflecting it harmlessly with the slightest flick of his shield arm, the withered warrior spoke again, "It is wasted effort, and even the ravages of time have not taken me. Nor can I be killed; my duty did not end after the defeat of the evil.", retaliation came swiftly from the taller adversary. Again it required the use of both of the lesser hero's hands to deflect the attack, arms numbing under the renewed assaults. More blows rained down from the stronger attacker, some sending the battered savior sprawling onto the marbled floor, narrowly rolling out from under a following strike, cracking marble tiles as the one sided fight drew on. Confusion raced through the losing swordsman's mind, thoughts rapidly turning to where his dusky companion was. The dethroned ruler was not far, managing to avoid the tracking pinpricks that constituted the ghostly attackers vision. Fighting back once more, the weaker hero's efforts were just as the spectral solider had spoken, wasted efforts; every cut was turned aside, each attempted leap was caught and thrown back to the ground

It was only after a particularly vicious deflection that the aged defender found the impish Twili, hovering behind the staggering hero. His assault paused, again voices siphoning into a defined sound, "Bringer of darkness, you defile this place with your mere presence!", rage welling inside its hollow skull. Vine covered deflector was cast aside, both gauntleted hands coming to grip the worn blade. Thundering footsteps crashed while the towering defender charged, skeletal grin becoming sinister. Again the glinting blade was cast aside by the younger swordsman, both hands gripping the worn Hyrulian shield fast until the corner of his vision saw the brief flash of golden brown. Momentarily distracted the hero turned, guard weakened further as an image of the maiden from Ordon Village stood to the side, beset by all manner of foul creatures. Fresh images spilled into the beleaguered hero's mind, the previous decision and screams tearing open the mental wound.

Charging furiously and looming ever close, the ghostly tutor closed the gap with frightening speed. The same choice presented itself again with more mortal consequences; he could die protecting one or live by saving another, but in either case one would die. Despite the considerable powers of the impish princess, this was one time when the sheer insanity of the situation had left her mind addled, rooted to the spot and unable to move. The decision weighed down the hero still, precious seconds ticking away as the aged blade was brought closer. A massive sound of impacting steel and hewing metal signaled the end of deliberation, knees bending under the sheer weight of the blow that continued to dig into the tempered shield. Briefly the crumpling hero looked back, shouting franticly even as the steel began to disintegrate around his arms, "Midna, run!" Those words reached the ears of the diminutive imp but had no affect; a silent scream had stolen her voice and chained her to the spot. Crimson eyes watched helplessly as the hero began to buckle under the assault. That savage attack quickly faltered as soon as it had erupted into being, deceptively strong blade withdrawn from the nearly broken shield. Forming into a single voice again, the spectral swordsman spoke, "So you are resolute in your decision, Hero of Twilight. Then there is little purpose in killing you, as much as the Steward's wishes." More screams came from the corner of the room, the maiden in her death throes by the cruel hands of the ravening beasts.

The battered and broken hero did not flinch, dropping the weakened shield to his feet. Both hands grasped the grip of the Master Sword, familiar stance adopted as he stood between his spectral tutor and the Twilight Princess, prepared to sell his life dearly. "Do you not understand? The battle is over, killing you would only bring about the end quicker. Take your fragment and leave his place, do not desecrate it with your sullied steps any longer. Goddesses grant you mercy for all you throw away Hero of Twilight. Time will be your teacher no longer." Stepping away, the tutor paused to collect the discarded shield, casting one last look to the pair before exiting through a doorway.

"Link..what in the world was that all about? I know it's normal for you heroic types to be confronted with challenges but that was just insane." With his back to the Twili, all the exhausted hero could do was simply shrug his shoulders, standing on weary legs. Turning to face her he forced a tired smile to his face, holding out a fragment of the mirror. "So it's been here at the entrance to this place the whole time? Why didn't you look harder huh? Could have saved us however long we've been trying to figure out this crazy place!" His silence caused her to glide closer, placing a tiny hand against his forehead, "One more piece to go, I know you're done here so let's leave. It's determined to kill you." Not missing a beat, the impish ruler grabbed one of his larger hands with hers, scolding him even as the world began to dissolve into blackened squares and smoldering colors. "Only because you look so pathetic, do you get a quick break. Toughen up and be the hero already!" The last thing the exhausted hero saw before descending into twilight was that same snaggle-fanged grin.

A voice spoke from the empty room, echoing within the unmoving chamber "The Hero of Twilight has left, yet we still exist. The chain should have broken yet it has not, curious." During the last few words, the decrepit doors to the temple began to shut, hushing the disembodied voice from the verdant overgrown glade that lurked outside the grey gateway.


End file.
